Machines for applying pressure to shoe bottoms



p 1962 H. GULBRANDSEN ETAL 3,052,901

MACHINES FOR APPLYING PRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS Filed NOV. 1. 1960 6Sheets-Sheet 1 inventors:

H. GULBRANDSEN ETAL MACHINES FOR APPLYING PRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS Sept.11, 1962 Filed Nov.

P 1962 H. GULBRANDSEN ETAL 3,052,901

MACHINES FOR APPLYING PRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 FiledNov. 1. 1960 P 1962 H. GULBRANDSEN ETAL 3,052,901

MACHINES FOR APPLYING PRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS Filed Nov. 1. 1960 6Sheets-Sheet 4 p 1962 H. GULBRANDSEN ETAL 3,052,901

MACHINES FOR APPLYING PRESSURE T0 SHOE BOTTOMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 p 1962H. GULBRANDSEN ETAL 3,052,901

MACHINES FOR APPLYING PRESSURE TO SHOE BOTTOMS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FiledNov. 1. 1960 United States Patent Oil ice 3,052,901 Patented Sept. 11,1962 3,052,901 MACHiNE-S FOR APPLYENG PRESSURE TO SHOE BGTTQMS HelgeGulhrandsen, Beverly, and Gordon V. Sprague,

In, Danvers, Mass, assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation,Flemington, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 1, 1960, Ser.No. 66,559 19 Claims. (Cl. 12-38) This invention relates to improvementsin machines and apparatus for attaching outsoles to cement shoes,particularly when it is desired at the same time to attach breastcovering flaps split from the 'outsoles to Louis or other heels byapplying simultaneous pressure on the sole and heel breast, as disclosedin a co-pending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No.763,055, filed September 24, 1958 in the name of Helge Gulbrandsen, newapplication Serial No. 91,547, filed October 24, 1961.

The nature of an outsole attaching operation for a cement shoe is suchthat two steps must be taken into consideration; first, as related tothe problem of conforming the outsole with the shape of the shoe bottomincluding the breast of a heel when one is attached to the shoe bottom;and second, as related to the problem of bringing the outsole into firmintimate contact with the surfaces of the shoe bottom for maximumadhesive distribution and absorption. If an attempt is made to conformthe sole and to attach it with a single instantaneous application ofpressure, difiiculty is encountered both from the fact that the materialoperated upon is subjected to destruction under heavy impact and thatthe character of adhesive, which is employed for outsole attachment,introduces a time-pressure factor, within which eflective attachment ofan outsole to a shoe bottom is not readily capable of beingaccomplished. 'If the time of pressure is reduced below a practicalminimum, then the intensity of pressure required for satisfactoryattachment of the outsole must be increased all out of proportion tothat which may safely and practically be applied. In making provisionfor proper conforming of an outsole and thereafter for insuring apractical time-pressure action during the outsole attaching operation,it has been common practice to move with a light preliminary force ashoe quickly toward a pair of toe and heel supporting abutments througha sulficient distance for convenient introduction and removal of a shoefrom a pressure pad, as a first step, to prevent disruption of theoutsole or shoe parts as result of sudden impact. Thereafter, as asecond step, the pressure on the pad is gradually increased with therequired heavy force and held for an appreciable length of time toinsure effective adhesive distribution and absorption by the outsole andshoe bottom. These steps have been performed separately duringsuccessive time intervals, either with the use of hollow pads containinga pressure distributing fluid or with the use of compressible pads ofsolid resilient material. With the use of hollow fluid containing pads auniform pressure is applied at right angles to all surfaces but withoutobtaining special benefits in character of contour in a shoe through theuse of greater pressures along certain areas and lower pressures alongothers.

The more desirable type of pad contains, at least, along its shank andbreast engaging elements a reinforcement of solid resilient material,which when in uncompressed condition is shaped to apply increasedpressures along the margins of the shank and heel breast whileminimizing pressures on areas between the margins of the shank and heelbreast during the first light force step. Also, along the forepart of ashoe it is desirable to apply a distributed pressure for secureattachment with abrupt reductions in pressure along central areas of theforepart and the edge of an outsole which projects beyond the bottom ofthe shoe, so that the surplus projecting margin of the sole will not bewrapped tightly against the upper of the shoe and the finished sides ofa Louis heel, but will extend in diverging relation to the sides of theshoe upper and heel.

A need ordinarily met in the attachment of an outsole to a cement shoeand simultaneously in the attachment of a breast covering flap to a heelalready mounted on such shoe, especially where solid resilient pads areprovided, as distinguished from fluid containing pads, is in manualadjustment of the general contour on the support for the pads. Apressure pad is supported in a box, the contour on the bottom surface ofwhich is capable of being changed to conform with the general shape ofthe shoe. With the use of solid compressible pads it may be necessary tochange the contour of the pad box bottom to a greater extent than hasbeen found necessary with the supporting pad box for a fluid containingpad. This is because a fluid containing pad conforms with the shape ofthe shoe more readily and, all other things being equal, the fluidcontaining pad does no worse in character emphasis with great changes inshoe sizes and styles. In any case such fluid pad does not add desirablecharacter emphasis to a shoe to the extent obtainable with a properlycontoured solid resilient pad. It thus appears that problems met in asolid pad include adaptability and adjustment; whereas, the problems metwith fluid containing pads include character emphasis in any adjustment.

The object of the present invention is to provide a supporting boxintended to be used with a solid resilient pad for attaching outsoles toshoes and simultaneously for attaching breast flaps integral with anoutsole to a heel already mounted on a shoe, in which any adjustmentsrequired in the contour of a pad supporting surface in a pad box areaccomplished automatically without any attention on the part of theoperator for the machine, thus attaining a degree of adaptability equalto that provided by the use of a fluid containing pad.

Preferably, the pad and box of the invention are employed in a machinewhich is capable of a two-step operation, the first of which moves thepad and shoe quickly relatively to a set of toe and heel abutments witha relatively light force until the contour of the pad supporting box hashad an opportunity to become adjusted to the shape of the shoe, and thesecond of which exerts a much heavier force on the shoe over an extendedperiod of time suflicient to form a secure attachment of the outsole tothe shoe, the solid pad itself yielding suficiently to distribute theheavy pressures along the desired areas.

Other objects of the invention are generally to improve the operation ofa cement sole attaching machine, in which the set of toe and heelabutments is adjustable in accordance with the size of a shoe beingprocessed by the machine regardless of whether a heel already isattached to the hoe bottom or whether a shoe is intended to have itsheel attached afterwards.

The features of the invention contributing to the objects above outlinedare embodied in a machine having a set of pad elements in anautomatically adjustable pad box comprising forepart and heel trays anda shank supporting member between the forepart and heel trays, in whichthere are balancing connections between the forepart and heel trays andthe shank member acting to press the shank member of the pad into theshank area of the shoe with a force equal to the sum of pressurecomponents exerted by both the forepart and heel trays. Such anarrangement distinguishes from previous pad supporting boxes, in whichconnections are provided for balancing the components of the boxes, butnone are armatically actuated mechanism for adjusting the spacingbetween toe and heel abutments, against which the pressure of the shoeon the pad is exerted, the distance between the toe and heel abutmentsbeing increased for use with large sized shoes and decreased for smallersized shoes, preferably by the engagement of a feeler member directlywith a portion of the shoe or of the last on which the'shoe is mounted.

These and'other features of the invention, as hereinafter described andclaimed, will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the followingdetailed specification,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: a FIG. 1is a view in front elevation and partly in section of the principalparts of a machine embodying the features of the present invention,shown in use with a shoe having no heel attached;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view on a reduced scale, looking from the rearof the machine illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation of a pad box and shoeengaging devices in the machine shown in use with a Louis heel shoe,indicating the parts of the machine in positions assumed before anattaching operationhas been initiated;

FIG. 4 is a-fragmentary detail view of a portion of the operatingconnections for a heel supporting mechanism in the machine;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the same parts of the machine illustratedin FIG. 3, in positions assumed While applying pressure to a Louis heelshoe;

FIG. '6 is a perspective detail of a heel pad tray in the machinelooking from beneath the front and right side; a

FIG. 7 is a of the machine;

FIG. 8 is a plan view, partly in section, of the pad box with the padremoved; FIG. 9 is a perspective w'ew of the pad and the pad box, partlyindicated in section, the plane of which section extends lengthwise of ashoe (illustrated in broken lines), the parts of the pad box being shownin positions assumed during the application of pressure on the shoebottom;

FIG. 10 is a sectional perspective View of the pad, shown in FIG. 9, thesection for which extends lengthwise of the shoe with the parts of thepad in uncompressed condition;

FIG.'1l is a transverse sectional view of upper portions plan view of ashoe disposed on the pad box I .of the pad and box, taken along the lineXIXI of FIG. 5 through the shank portion of a shoe, illustrating thecompression of the pad by the shoe;

FIG. 12 is a transverse sectional view of the pad box, indicating a shoeunder compression, the section being taken along the line XIIX1I of FIG.5;

FIG. 13. is a similar sectional view of a portion of the pad and boxwith a shoe thereon, indicating the positions of the parts before theapplication of pressure; FIG. 14 is a detail perspective view lookingfrom the light of the machine of mechanism for adjusting the distanceautomatically between the toe and heel abutments of the machine withrelation to a shoe being operated FIG. 15 is a detail perspective viewtaken partly in section along the line XV-XV of FIG. 5, showing theresults of a desirable breast flap attaching operation on a.

shoe heel; and

FIG. 16 is a similar detail perspective view of a shoe heel taken insection along the line XV-XV of FIG. 5, indicating an improper breastflap attaching operation.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is intended for operation on alasted cement shoe on the bottom of which is already mounted a Louis orother type of heel, whether the heel is attached directly to the heelseat of the shoe or to a sole, which in turn is temporarily attached tothe shoe bottom. To apply pressure to the shoe it is placed on a padsupporting box and compressed between the pad box and shoe engaging andholding devices which are brought together by suitable actuating means.

Also, the machine without any substantial changes or adjustments iscapable of operating to advantage upon a shoe, to the bottom of which noheel is attached, the heel being attached after the sole attachingoperation is .completed.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the machine is illustrated asoperating upon a shoe having no heel attached, the machine being capableof automatic adjustment to suit the contour of the shoe bottom withoutnecessitating the exercise of special control or adjustment on the partof an operator when changing from one size or style of shoe to another.The shoe illustrated in FIG. 1 is of conventional form having a fiatlasted upper 10 supported on a last 12 with an outsole 14 spotted andafiixed to the overlasted margin of the upper along the bottom of theshoe. The pad box is provided with a composite set of pad elements, theupper surface of which is protected by a leather cover 16 secured in thepad box by a plate 18 by means of stud screws 20 and threaded pins, oneof which is shown at 22 in FIG. 7. The plate 18 is clamped in place onthe rim of the pad box by nuts 23 threaded on each pin 22. In otherrespects themachine is similar to that disclosed in United StatesLetters Patent N0.-2,568,065, granted September 18, 1951 uponapplication ,of Helge Gulbrandsen, except that instead of employing apad supporting box containing forepart, shank and heel pad supportingmembers connected together for manual adjustment relatively to eachother, as in the patent, connections are provided between these membersof the pad box to enable them to adjust themselves automatically withrelation to each other in accordance with the contour of the shoe bottombeing operated upon.

For the purpose of automatic adjustment in the machine of the presentinvention the connections between a forepart tray, a shank supportingmember and a heel sup porting tray herein illustrated at 24, 25 and 26,respec-' trvely, in the order noted are arranged to be yieldingly heldin preliminary positions of adjustment so that when a shoe is broughtinto engagement with the cover 16 it is pressed downwardly relatively toa base structure for the pad box and so that the forepart and heel trayswill be depressed bodily in the base until the required pressure isdistributed along the shank of the shoe by upward movement of the shanksupporting member located between the forepart andheel trays. After theoperation on the shoe is completed the pressure is relieved and theforepart and heel trays rise in the pad box base to their originalpositions.

It will be understood that the reference to the direction of movementfor the pad box parts relatively to the base is selected for convenienceof expression and whether this movement takes place with relation to afixed part of the machine has no bearing on the features of inventioninvolved. For instance, the shoe may be raised against fixed abutmentsor the abutments may be lowered against the shoe; depending on the typeof machine employed, either manner of operation being old in the art.

Heretofore, attempts have been made to adjust auto-. matically the padsupporting parts of a pad box relatively to the base to distribute theforces on independent pad elements in a desirable manner throughout thebottom area of a shoe being operated upon. These attempts have notresulted in a pad box which was universahy adjustable to different sizesand styles of shoes, so that for practical purposes the advantages ofutilizing solid resilient pad elements of rubbery material haveheretofore required substantial manual adjustment between operations onshoes for the full range of styles and sizes found in the average shoefactory.

The force distributing connections of the resent invention act toconcentrate on the shank of the shoe components of those forces whichare exerted on the forepart and the heel of the shoe. In this wayeffective pressures are brought to bear on the shoe shank where thegreatest variations in curvature occur between shoes of difierent sizesand styles. To accommodate the variations in curvature ordinarily metalong the shank of the shoe, the shank pressing pad element is composedof independent layers 28 of vertically divided resilient material and avertical heel breast pressing layer 39, having a rearward surface shapedto fit the curvature of the breast on a Louis heel. The layers 28 and 39are generally perpendicular to the shoe bottom. However, when operatingupon an unheeled shoe as in FIG. 1, the space beneath the heel is filledin by a compressible heel filler block 32 disposed above a U- shapedheel embracing pad 34, the opening of the U in which provides space for2. Louis heel when required. The heel pad 34 is supported in the tray2.6 and the lower edges of the vertical shank layers are supported onthe member 25. To press the forepart of the shoe the leather cover 16rests on a forepart pad which consists of a layer 36 disposed onparallel underlying layers 38 supported in the forepart tray 24 havingupstanding flanges to prevent displacement of the forepart pad. Thelayers 36 and 32 are arranged in substantially parallel relation to theshoe bottom.

The force distributing connections between the heel tray 26, the shanksupporting member and the forepart tray 24 consist in links and leversarranged to press the shank element of the pad into the shank of theshoe with a force equal to the sum of pressure components on both theforepart and heel trays. To stabilize the pad supporting struc ture ofthe pad box, the heel tray is mounted for vertical movement while beingconstrained from angular move ment with respect to the other parts ofthe pad box. The forepart tray is mounted for vertical movement and alsofor swinging movement about an axis extending transversely of a shoedisposed in operating position on the pad.

The shank supporting member 25 is in the form of a wide lever fulcrumedon a shaft 41' extending transversely of the shank of a shoe disposed onthe pad and fixed at its ends in side plates 42 comprising the pad boxbase. The fulcrum shaft 4% is located in the base side plates with itsaxis directly beneath the line of division between the heel breastpressing shank layer 3% and the next adjacent shank layer 23, so as tofacilitate vertical movement in opposite directions of these shanklayers while the shank supporting lever member 25 is being adjusted toconform with the requirements of a particular shoe. The portion or" theshank supporting lever member 25 forwardly of the shaft 40, however, isactually greater by a ratio of about one and one-half to one than thatof the portion rearwardly of the shaft. As the shank lever member 25swings about the shaft 49 the individual layers 28 of the shank padshift with relation to each other and with relation to the heel pressinglayer 36, the greater proportion of force acting on the member 25 andbeing applied to it at its forward end, tending to rock in acounterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. I.

To avoid an abrupt gradient of pressures exerted between the shanksupporting member 25 and the forepart tray 24, the two are connectedloosely together by means of a wide link 44 having secured withinopenings at its forward end a horizontal pin 45 passing also throughsimilar close fitting openings in the lower rearward end of the foreparttray 24. The pin 46 is arranged to be guided vertically in the sideplates 42 of the pad box base by the provision of vertical slots 50 inthe side plates. The rearward end of the link 44 is also formed withhorizontal slots 52 to receive a floating pin 54 secured between theside plates of the base 42 within a close fitting opening at the forwardend of the shank lever member 25. Thus, the link 44- serves as a rampextending between the forward end of the shank member 25 and therearward end of the forepart tray 24 and adds to the tendency to rockthe forward end of the lever member 25 downwardly.

The connections between the heel tray and the leverike shank supportingmember 25 impart greater upward movement to the forward end of levermember in the pad box base and press the shank elements of the padupwardly relatively to the base into the shank of the shoe as the heeltray is depressed by downward pressure on the shoe heel. The heelconnections include a fourarmed lever 56 (see FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 8)composed of three approximately horizontally disposed arms and adownwardly extending arm all pinned to a horizontally extending shaft 57having its ends rotatably mounted in the side plates 42 of the base. Thetwo outer arms of the lever 56 carry lugs 58 extending toward each otherbeneath downwardly projecting flanges on the heel tray. A central arm ofthe lever 56 extends forwardly and is formed with a slot 5? throughwhich passes a short stud 6t fixed in lugs extending rearwardly from theshank supporting lever member 25. Passing transversely through the shanksupporting member 25, between the stud 6t and the shaft 40 is a pin 62confined between the side plates 42 of the base and embracing this pinare a pair of forked portions of the heel tray 26 formed integrally withits downwardly extending flanges. The relative lengths of the horizontalarms on the lever 56 and the distances between the fulcrum shaft 49, thepin 62- and the stud 60 on the shank member 25 comprise parallelmovement linkage which causes the lugs 58 on one end of the lever 56 tobe raised or lowered at the same rate as the pins 62 on the other end.Thus, a substantially horizontal relation is maintained by the heel tray26 regardless of its vertical height. In this way rocking movements ofthe heel tray are prevented. Furthermore, bodily relative movement inthe pad box base in a direction generally perpendicular to the shoebottom of the heel tray is permitted, causing the shank member 25 toswing about its fulcrum shaft 4%) and the forward arm of the member 25to move upwardly, compressing the elements of the shank pad against theshoe. As the lever member 25 swings to compress the vertical layers ofthe shank pad member, those at the forward end of the shank member arecompressed lengthwise more than those directly above the fulcrum shaft40. For this reason there will be a greater component of horizontalpressure exerted in a rearward direction on the shank layers directlyabove the fulcrum shaft and particularly on the breast pressing layer 30than would otherwise be present. This greater rearward pressure is foundto be of particular advantage when operating upon shoes having Louisheels already attached, as will be explained more fully below.

The forepart tray has a pair of downwardly extending flanges engaging apin 64 mounted in the forward arms of a pair of balancing levers 66. Thebalancing levers are secured to a fulcrum shaft 68 mounted for rotationin the side plates 42 of the base and the rearward arms of the levers 66are reduced in horizontal thickness and extend beneath the forward armsof the shank member 25. The levers 66 thus act to transfer the downwardforce on the forepart tray 24 to the shank supporting member 25, tendingto cause movement thereof in the same direction as the component ofdownward force on the heel tray 26.

Because the lengths of arms on the various supporting and balancinglevers are proportioned to transfer the desired components of downwardforce on the heel and forepart trays to the shank supporting member 25,the shank supporting member applies the proper degree of vertical forceto the shoe and exerts the proper horizontal and rearward component ofthat force to give the desired results. For the same reason the bodilyadjusting movements of the heel and forepart trays are substantiallyequal to each other, so that the balance of these forces and thehorizontal position of the shoe as a whole does not change during theoperation on the shoe.

The forepart tray is not restrained against angular movement of itsflanges about the pin 64, and is free for rocking movement toaccommodate the angle between the shank and forepart of the lastsupporting the shoe. Such angular movement does not change the pressureon the shoe shank.

The support for the pad box and the actuating means for bringingtogether the pad box and the shoe engaging and holding abutments toapply pressure to the shoe are the same, except as hereinafterdescribed, as in the machine of the prior co-pending application aboveidentified. The pad box base near its forward end has connected betweenits side plates 42 a rectangular bar 69 and at its rearward end abracket 70, both bar and bracket being secured to the side plates by capscrews 7-2 (see FIG. 3). At the bottom of the base near its rearward endthere also is secured a block 74 made fast to the right-hand side plateby screws 76 (FIG. 3). The bar 69 and the block 74 are located flushwith the bottom edges of the side plates so that they form means forattaching the pad box base to the pressure applying means.

In the particular form of the machine illustrated the pressure applyingmeans acts in a direction generally perpendicular to the shoe bottom andcomprises a double piston 78 (see FIG. 1), a large diameter portion ofwhich is guided in a cylinder 80 and a small diameter portion of whichis guided in a cylinder 82. The cylinders 80 and 82 form parts of amachine frame and are supplied With pressurized fluid under control oftwo separate hydraulic systems, the pressure applied to the shoe by thesmaller diameter portion of the piston being less than the pressureapplied by the larger diameter portion.

Thus, fluid under pressure is first directed into the small cylinder 82.to move the shoe quickly from a lowered position where it is readilyapplied to the pad to a higher position where it engages a pair of toeand heel abutment devices 84 and 86 mounted in the frame opposite thepad elements. The toe abutment device 84 is mounted for verticaladjustment on a slide 88 and the heel abutment device 86 is pivotallymounted on a slide 90. The slides 88 and 90 are supported by similarguideways 92 and 94 formed on the lower ends of plungers 96 and 98slidable in an overhanging portion of the machine frame. Connectedbetween the upper ends of the plungers 96 and 98 is a walking beam 100supported on a pivot shaft 102 secured in the overhanging portion,indicated at 104 of the machine frame, the portion 104 extending rigidlybetween the pivot shaft 102 and the cylinders 80 and 82 for the piston78, so that when fluid pressure isintrodu-ced into the cylinders theshoe is raised into engagement with the abutment devices 84 and 86. Assoon as the abutments are engaged by the shoe the continued upwardmovement of the shoe raises one and causes the other to be loweredthrough the action of the Walking beam 100 until balanced positions ofthe two abutment devices are reached. Thereafter, upon further increasein pressure the shoe is held by the abutment devices and the pad box israised until the pressure on the shoe bottom reaches a maximum, thecylinder 80 then being subject to the full fluid pressure of the systemconnected thereto. To secure the pad box in position on the doublepiston 78 a pair of cap screws 105 pass through a flange on the pistonand into threaded engagement with the bar 69 and the block 74.

While the machine is herein illustrated as having a pad box raised bypressure applying means comprising a double diameter piston, theinvention is readily applicable to a machine such as that illustrated inUnited States Letters Patent No. 2,047,185, granted July 14, 1936, uponapplication of Ballard et al., in which the pressure applying means actsto force the toe and heel engaging abutment devices downwardly tocompress the shoe against a pad in the pad box. In the present machine asingle fluid pressureactuated lever, such as that indicated at 314 inthe Ballard et al. patent, would thus have secured to its forward endthe frame part 104 of the present machine and the pad box would besecured rigidly to an underlying fixed portion of the machine frame.While the Ballard et al. patent illustrates two separate fluid actuatedpistons and two separate levers, one of which levers operates to depressthe toe-engaging abutment wh'fle the other actuates the heel-engagingabutment there would be no necessity for such an arrangement with themachine of the present invention, inasmuch as a single walking beam typeof connection to balance the forces applied to the toe and heelabutments is all that is required to insure proper automatic adjustmentof the pad' supporting parts in the pad box of the present invention.

The advantage of a two-pressure system, one intensity of which bringsthe shoe quickly into engagement with the abutment devices and the otherintensity of which exerts proper attaching action of the shoe and sole.is apparent where a relatively light force is desirable for adjustingthe parts of a pad supporting box and thereafter where a much heavierforce is needed to complete the operation on the shoe. A furtheradvantage of the two-pressure system is that the major part of theadjustment is accomplished under light pressure so that the adjustingparts are subjected to relatively gentle forces during their relativemovement; whereas, much heavier forces may be applied to the same partsafter the adjusting movements have substantially been completed withoutundue wear or other undesirable efiects.

In order that the adjustments of the pad box may be accomplishedthroughout the full range of possible movement during each operation ona shoe, the downwardly extending arm of the lever 56 in the pad box isperforated at its lower end and is engaged by one end of a strongtension spring 106 stretched between the lever arm and an eye bolt 108secured in the cross bar 69. The action of the spring 106 is to raisethe toe and heel trays 24 and 26 to their full height while depressingthe shank supporting member 25 into the position more fully illustratedin FIG. 3. In this way if a shoe, such as that illustrated at 110,having a Louis heel 112 is to be operated upon, the spacing block 32. isremoved to expose the opening in the heel embracing pad 34. After theshoe has been located with the heel within the opening of the heelembracing pad a heel supporting mechanism connected with a pad block 114is rendered operative to engage and backup the rearward surface of theheel 112 in synchronism with the application of pressure to the shoe.This mechanism is the same as that described in the prior applicationand in the machine of that application the block is locked against theheel directly by engagement of the heel pad with the block. For a shoehaving no heel attached this mechanism is rendered inoperative inasmuchas there is no necessity for supporting the heel.

With the shoe in position on the pad box the forepart and heel of theshoe is held raised to a point where many of the surface areas of theshoe bottom are entirely disengaged frorncertain portions of the cover16 for. the pads. As pressure is applied to the piston the heelsupporting block 114 moves along the heel pad 34 into engagement withthe rearward surface of the heel to urge it against the shank pad layer30. Thereafter the heel supporting block is locked against rearwardmovement and as the shoe engages the toe and heel abutments the toe andheel trays 24 and 26 are depressed and the shank supporting member israised to bring the shank engaging portion of the cover 16 into adesired pressing engagement with the shank of the shoe in the positionsillustrated in FIG. of the drawings. Eventually a condition ofequilibrium between forces applied to the shoe is reached and the heavyattaching pressure is applied to the piston. The pad box is then raisedsomewhat higher, the pad elements being compressed horizontally andexpanded laterally to fill in the voids between them and the curvedareas about the shank and heel of the shoe; otherwise, the operation issimilar to that described in the application above identified.

In the machine of the prior application the heel supporting block islocked against the rearward surface of the heel, merely by raising theheel pad into engagement with the heel supporting block. In the presentmachine the mechanism for actuating and locking the supporting blockincludes a horizontally reciprocating bar 116 having secured to itsunder surface a ratchet bar 118, the teeth of which are directedrearwardly and downwardly. The supporting block bar 116 is slidinglymounted in a carrier 120 having secured to its lower inner surface asecond ratchet bar 122 formed with teeth directed forwardly andupwardly. The carrier 120 is pivotally mounted on a rearwardly extendingarm of the bracket 70 so that when the shoe engages the overheadabutment devices the supporting block 114 presses the bar 116 downwardlyto bring the ratchet bar 118 into engagement with the ratchet bar 122,thus preventing rearward movement of the heel supporting block.

To insure that the teeth of the ratchet bar 118 will be held inengagement with those of the ratchet bar 122, the carrier 120 is actedupon by a spring pressed plunger 124 mounted in the bracket 70. As thepad box is raised at the beginning of an operation on a shoe the forceof the plunger 124 holds the carrier 12! raised until downward pressureis exerted on the shoe by the toe and heel abutment devices 84 and 86.To release the teeth of the bar 118 from engagement with those of theratchet bar 122, so that the supporting block 114 may be retracted afteran operation on a shoe is completed, a leaf spring 126 fixed at itsrearward end inside the carrier 120 acts between the reciprocating bar116 and the carrier 120 to separate the two ratchet bars from eachother.

To permit the heel supporting mechanism to be rendered inoperative whena shoe having no heel attached thereto is being processed, thereciprocating bar 116 is actuated by a link 128 pivotally connected atits rearward end to the bar and formed with an open notch 130 at itsforward end arranged to embrace a pin 132 secured to an upwardlyextending actuating arm 13 as shown in FIG. 4. When the link 128 israised manually it disengages the pin 132. The actuating arm 134 ispinned to a stud 136 rotatable in rearwardly projecting lugs on thebracket 79. For actuating the arm 134 connections are provided between alaterally extending arm 138 rotatable on the stud 135 and the frame ofthe machine, the arm 138 being yieldingly connected by a spring 137(FIG. 3) to the arm 134. The free end of the arm 138 is in turnconnected to the stationary frame portion 89 in such a way that when thepiston 78 is raised the actuating arm 134 will press the heel supportingpad 114 forwardly, as in the aforementioned application. In case the toeand heel abutments 84 and 86 are actuated downwardly against the shoe,as in the Ballard et al. machine, instead of being fixed as illustratedherein, the connections for the arm 138 will necessarily be madedirectly to the movable portion of the frame 104 which carries the toeand heel engaging abutments.

To confine the forepart pad layer 35 while permitting bodily movement ina vertical direction with the forepart tray 24, the pad layer 36 issurrounded by a horseshoe shaped frame 139 having on the upper rearwardcorners ears through which pass a pair of pins 140 also passing throughthe forward ends of a pair of substantially horizontal links 142. Therearward ends of the links 142 are pivoted at 144 to upstanding portionsof the side plates 42, which extend between the ears on the foreparttray. The upstanding portions of the side plates 42 at either side ofthe shank pad element prevent escape of the shank pad and maintain it inalignment with the layers 38 (see also FIG. 12). The frame 139 has sideflanges resting on the crossbar 6 between the side flanges of the frameand the side flanges have horizontal slots 143 through which passloosely the pin 46. 'The frame 139 also has threaded openings to receivethe screws 2!) and the pins 22.

To prevent displacement of the shank pad element rearwardly, the sideplates 42 are formed with horizontal slots 145 (FIG. 3) through whichpass a pair of clamp bolts 146 for securing in adjusted position a pairof T-shaped clips 143, best shown in FIG. 7. The bolts 146 have threadedon them a pair of wing nuts 159, which when loosened permit the clips148 to slide toward and from contact with the heel pressing pad layer36. At the forward end of the shank pad element the foremost layer 28engages the rearward ends of the toe pressing pad layers 36 and 38. Alsoassisting in confinement of the shank pad elements, there are formed atthe forward end of the heel tray 26 a pair of upstanding flanges 151(FIG. 6) which engage the heel pressing layer 30.

Because the pad box of the illustrated machine contains no water bags toequalize pressures on all parts of a shoe bottom, the present solidresilient pad elements have a tendency to flow and expand horizontallywhile being compressed vertically. These pad elements may be suitablycontoured when in uncompressed condition to give the desiredconcentration of pressures for best results and enhanced characteristicson a shoe without distorting the shoe or tending to stretch or wrinklethe parts being operated upon. As illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 13inclusive, all of the shoe pressing surfaces of the uppermost padelements are formed with substantial concavities 152 and 154 to conformwith the convex curvatures both lengthwise and widt'nwise of a shoebeing processed. These concavities assist in a proper preliminarylocation of a shoe on the pad as well as emphasize the shoe characterand shape by concentrating all the pressures applied thereto to themarginal portions of the sole while leaving the central areas of boththe forepart and shank relatively free of pressures.

As shown in FIG. 11 the relaxed and uncompressed positions of the partsare shown in broken lines. While under pressure of the sole attachingoperations all of the pressure along the shank is limited to a marginalarea 156 of the outsole, leaving a central area 153 free of pressure, asindicated by the full line positions. The same action is true in theforepart of the shoe, as shown in FIG. 13, where the forepart pad 36 iscontoured with the concavity 152, indicating greater curvature than theconvexity of a shoe bottom, so that when the shoe is first located onthe pad a substantial space 160 will be present between the shoe and thepad. Upon application of pressure to the shoe it will be forced againstthe pad into the position shown in FIG. 12 where most of the space 160will be taken up or will be substantially reduced in area.

The character emphasizing benefits flowing from the use of a solidresilient pad, as distinguished from a fluid containing one are alsoapparent in processing the shoe provided with the Louis heel 112, asappears in FIG. 15. When such shoe is being processed the outsole,indicated at 162 in FIGS. 3 and 5, has at its rearward end a reducedarea portion forming a breast covering flap 164. Along the section ofgreatest curvature close to the joint between the heel and the shoebottom the breast flap is pressed uniformly against the heel whileflexing any surplus portion 166 along the margins of the flap slightlyrearwardly of the heel breast to form creases 168, along which thesurplus may readily be trimmed after attachment.

Tlhe condition of the marginal portions where a solid resilient pad isemployed is readily distinguished from the use of a fluid containingbag, which causes the surplus marginal portions 170 of a flap 172, asshown in FIG. 6, to be flexed into intimate contact with the sidesurfaces of'the heel. The marginal portions, thus are attached and mustbe pried loose before the surplus margins of the flap may be trimmedinto conformity with the breast of the heel. In prying the marginalportions of the flap loose from the heel particles of adhesive adhere tothe sides of the heel, causing discoloration or resulting in abrasion ofthe finished heel surfaces when an attempt is made to remove them.

To assist still further in reducing the need of adjust ment of themachine by the operator according to a further feature of the invention,the slide for the toe abutment 84 is adjusted along its guideway 92automatically in accordance with the size of the shoe being operatedupon. In this way it is possible to bring the spacing between the toeand heel abutment devices into correspondence with the locations on ashoe where the best results are obtainable. For this purpose the slide88 has pivotally connected to it at 174' (see FIGS. 1, 3, 5, and 14) theforward end of a threaded rod 176, the rearward end of which passesloosely through a rectangular head on a pivot 178 rotating loosely in adownwardly extending arm 180 rotatable on the shaft 102. The lower endof the arm 180 has a pair of perforations, one of which is shown at 182,and the other of which has passing through it a pin 184 forming amounting for a feeler roll 186. The roll 186 is so located that as ashoe mounted on the pad box is raised from the solid line position ofFIG. 3 to the broken line position, the inclined forward face on thefront cone 188 of a last 12 or 190 for the shoe engages the roll andswings the arm 180 forwardly as in FIG. 5. In moving the arm 180 theconnection provided by the rod 176 moves the slide 88 on its guideway 92to bring the toe engaging abutment 84 into the proper position toproduce the best results on the shoe without overstraining the lastduring the application of sole attaching pressure. Because the roll 186engages the last approximately at a central location between theabutments 84 and 86, little or no variation in movement of the arm isproduced as the shoe changes its angular position by forcing oneabutment up and causing the other abutment to be lowered. As soon as thetoe engaging abutment 84 comes into contact with the shoe no furthermovement of the slide 88 on the guideway 92 is permitted, the partsbeing locked together as the result of the frictional forces produced bythe pressure applied.

T enable the shoe to move after engaging the toe abutment 84 either byreason of its angular adjustment lengthwise relatively to a horizontalposition or by reason of a bulging action of the last between theabutment devices 84 and 86, the rod 176 is surrounded between itsthreaded end and the pin 178 by a compression spring 191 which holds therectangular head of the pin yieldingly against a pair of check nuts 192on the rod. In this way there is no danger of abrasion on the shoe upperby movement of the abutment device 84 during the application ofpressure.

The arm 180 is arranged to move a sufiicient distance to take care ofthe full variation in sizes of shoes from the smallest to the largest,the shoe being located in a predetermined position on the pad in the padbox. When a Louis heel shoe is being operated upon this position isdetermined automatically by engagement of the heel breast with the heelpressing layer 30 of the shank element. With a shoe having no heelattached the lengthwise position of the shoe may be gaged withsufiicient accuracy either by the position of the heel supporting .block114, which is rendered inoperative or otherwise by markings on the padbox.

To bring the shoe abutment adjusting arm 180 into a 1.2 position whereit changes the spacing between the abut ments for the smallest size ofshoe being operated upon, a spring 193 is stretched between a pin 194 onthe arm and a pin 196 on the slide 90. The spring 192draws the arm 180against an adjustable stop plate 198 secured by means of a releasablescrew 200 to the slide 90, the slide being held in fixed position on theguideway 94 by a set screw 202 threaded in a portion of the slide 90 andengaged at its inner end with the guideway 94. As in prior machines theplungers 96 and 98 of the guideway are retained at their upper ends inengagement with the walking beam by a pair of tension springs 204stretched at their lower ends between the guideways 92 and 94 and pins206 in the machine frame portion 104.

With the use of an automatic adjustment slide for the spacing betweenthe heel and toe abutment a particularly desirable benefit is obtainedin operating upon shoes hava ing a Louis heel already attached the Louisheel acting to locate a shoe at its rearward end accurately withrelation to the pad box and the heel abutment device 86. In operatingupon a Louis heel shoe the shoe is first applied to the pad in the pad.box with the breast of its heel positioned firmly against the leathercover 16 sup ported by the heel breast pressing pad layer '30. As thesole attaching operation is initiated the heel supporting block 114 ismoved against the rearward surface of the shoe heel so as to bring theshoe accurately into position lengthwise on the pad. Such accuratelocation determines uniformly the action of the feeler roll 186 inspacing the shoe abutment devices, so that shoes of the same size willalways have the toe abutment device 84 spaced the required distance fromvthe heel abutment device 86.

The nature and scope of the invention having been set forth and aparticular embodiment having been described, what is claimed is:

1. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, said machine havinga frame, a pad box base in the frame, a pad box in the base, a set ofindependent pad elements in the pad box, shoe engaging and holdingabutment devices mounted in the frame opposite the pad elements, andactuating means for bringing together the pad elements and the shoeengaging and holding devices to apply vertical pressure to a lasted shoeon the pad elements in a direction generally perpendicular to the shoebottom, the pad element supporting box comprising forepart and heeltrays and a shank supporting member between the forepart and heel trays,in combination with force distributing connections between the forepartand heel trays acting to press the shank element of the pad verticallyinto the shank of the shoe with a force equal to the sum of the verticalforce components on the forepart and heel trays.

2. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, as in claim 1, inwhich the forepart tray is mounted for rocking movement to accommodatethe angle between the shank and the forepant of the shoe withoutchanging the pressure on the shoe shank.

3. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, as in claim 2, inwhich the forces applied to the shoe engaging and holding devices arebalanced by a walking beam connected between them to equalize the forcesexerted against the shoe bottom by the pad elements in the forepart andheel trays.

4. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom,

as in claim 2, in which a pin engaged by the forepart tray enables therocking movement and a lever is fulcrumed in the pad box to support thepin in one of its arms and to transfer a component of vertical forcefrom the rod to the shank supporting member through another of its 7arms.

ponent of vertical force applied to it directly to the shank supportingmember tending to cause movement therein 13 in the same direction as thecomponent of vertical force applied to the heel tray by the actuatingmeans.

6. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, as in claim 2, inwhich the pad elements supported by the pad box consist of independentlayers of resilient material of which those in the forepart tray arearranged in substantially parallel relation to the shoe bottom and thosesupported by the shank member extend substantially perpendicularly tothe shoe bottom, and a fulcrum shaft about which the shank supportingmember rocks located with its axis directly beneath a line of divisionbetween two adjacent layers of the shank pressing element.

7. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom as in claim 2, inwhich there is provided a spring for raising the forepart and heel traysand to lower the shank supporting member at the end of an operation on ashoe.

8. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, as in claim 1, inwhich the actuating means includes a two-pressure system, one intensityof which brings the shoe quickly into engagement with the engaging andholding devices, and the other intensity of which exerts properattaching action of the sole and shoe.

9. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, as in claim 1, inwhich the forces on the shoe engaging and holding devices are balancedby a walking beam connected between them to equalize the forces exertedagainst the forepart and heel trays.

16. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, as in claim 1, inwhich the force distributing connections act on the heel and foreparttrays to move them bodily relatively to the pad box base in a verticaldirection by amounts substantially equal to each other, the foreparttray is fulcrumed for h'ee rocking movement to accommodate the anglebetween the shank and forepart of the last supporting the shoe, and alever and linkage are provided to hold the heel tray from rockingmovement.

11. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, as in claim 10, inwhich the connections for the heel supporting tray comprise parallelmovement linkage to cause the ends of the heel tray to be raised orlowered at the same rate.

12. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, as in claim 1, inwhich the pad element in the heel tray is U-shaped providing an openingfor 21 Louis heel on the shoe being operated upon.

13. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom and simultaneouslyto the breast of a heel attached to the shoe bottom, as in claim 1, inwhich there is provided a heel supporting member, a reciprocating bar onwhich the heel supporting member is mounted for movement toward and fromthe heel of a shoe, a carrier in which the reciprocating bar isslidingly mounted and means for locking the heel supporting member inengagement with the shoe heel, including a ratchet on the reciprocatingbar and a second ratchet on the carrier for the bar arranged to beengaged by the first ratchet by pressure of the shoe against the shoeengaging and holding devlces.

14. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom and simultaneouslyto the breast of a heel attached to the shoe bottom, as in claim 13, inwhich there is provided means for releasing the ratchets from engagementwith each other after operation on a shoe is completed,

14 comprising a spring acting between the reciprocating bar and thecarrier.

15. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom, as in claim 1, inwhich a link is connected between the shank supporting member and thefore-part tray, against which link a portion of the pad elements aresupported to avoid an abrupt gradient of pressures exerted between theshank supporting member and the forepart tray.

16. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom and simultaneouslyto the breast of a heel attached to the shoe bottom, said machine havinga frame, a set of independent pad elements, toe and heel engaging andholdabutment devices mounted in the frame opposite the pad elements,actuating means for bringing together the pad elements and the shoeengaging and holding devices to apply pressure to a lasted shoe on thepad elements in a direction generally perpendicular to the shoe bottom,a pad element in the supporting box comprising a heel pressing layerhaving a surface shaped to fit the curvature on the heel breast, and anexternal heel supporting member separate from the pad elements movabletoward and from the rearward surface of the heel of a shoe to urge itagainst the shank pad element, in combination with means automaticallyadjusting the spacing between the toe and heel abutment devicesincluding a feeler member engaging the front cone of the last on whichthe shoe is mounted.

17. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom and simultaneouslyto the breast of a heel attached to the shoe bottom, as in claim 16, inwhich spring means is provided between the feeler and one of theabutment devices to enable the shoe to move after engaging the abutmentdevices to prevent abrasion of the shoe upper during application ofpressure on the shoe.

18. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom and simultaneouslyto the breast of a heel attached to the shoe bottom, as in claim 16, inwhich there are provided a reciprocating bar on which the heelsupporting member is mounted, a carrier in which the reciprocating baris slidingly mounted, ratchet means on the reciprocating bar and thecarrier arranged to be engaged and to be locked by pressure exerted on ashoe through engag ment with the toe and heel engaging devices, andmeans for releasing the ratchet means from engagement after operation ona shoe is completed, comprising a spring acting between thereciprocating bar and the carrier to separate the ratchet means.

19. A machine for applying pressure to a shoe bottom and simultaneouslyto the breast of a heel attached to the shoe bottom, as in claim 18, inwhich there is provided means for insuring that the ratchets will beheld in engagement during operation on a shoe, comprising a springpressed plunger acting on the carrier to hold the carrier raised whiledownward pressure is exerted on the shoe by the toe and heel engagingdevices.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS694,367 Gifiord Mar. 4, 1902 942,133 Davenport Dec. 7, 1909 2,656,553Woodman Oct. 27, 1953 2,914,782 Prahl et al. Dec. 1, 1959

